Whitman watched Caitlyn struggle for two weeks before he said anything.

She came to work on time and worked without complaint. She obviously didn’t know much about libraries or how they operated, but she took direction well and was a fast learner. It was during the second week, when the summer programs for the kids began, that Whitman realized there was an entirely different Caitlyn hidden underneath the surface. One that came alive around the children, who seemed to thrive on a child’s innate need to have someone close and caring. It was then that he realized how truly broken she was.

Whitman had heard the gossip. No matter how uninterested he tried to seem, Mrs. Leake couldn’t take a hint. He couldn’t imagine how strong this girl was, with everything she was dealing with, and still she held her head high and walked through those doors every morning despite knowing how everyone had to be talking about her.

When Caitlyn arrived Monday morning, Whitman had her pull the books from the night return box and then begin to scan them into the computer. Her methodical drag, flip, beep, flip, enter, stack set a rhythm, and Whitman followed along as he took each scanned book and stacked it onto the library cart to reshelve. Normally he let Caitlyn do this by herself, but there were more books than normal now that summer was in full swing, so he had an excuse to help.

“What’s your favorite book?” he asked and her rhythm faltered.

“I don’t really have one,” she said quietly, before turning back to the computer.

“Not much of a reader?”

“Travis used to read to me when I was little. But I never tried to pick up any on my own, other than what I had to for school,” she said with a wrinkle of her nose.

“You know what I love best about books?” Whitman asked, trying to remain casual and not scare her off with his enthusiasm. If he gushed over anything, it was books. “No matter what you’re going through, or what your situation is, books can help you feel less alone.”

Caitlyn didn’t say anything, but the slowing off her hands let him know she was listening.

“When I was in middle school, I got picked on a lot. You can probably imagine. Short, kinda chubby, and not at all subtle no matter how hard I tried.”

That got Caitlyn’s attention.

“Travis did too.”

Whitman laughed, but it wasn’t mean. “I can’t imagine your brother ever being short or chubby.”

“No, but gay. Like you, right?”

Ah, yes. “See? Not subtle. Though your brother is definitely more so than me.” He hadn’t been sure, and he chased away the twinge of guilt that the confirmation did not come from the man himself. Not as easily scared away was his guilt over the feelings the confirmation stirred up, when he should have been focusing on Caitlyn.

“Anyway, I hid in the library a lot. During lunches. Any time there was a pep rally or school assembly. The library and books became my refuge.”

“How did that make you feel less alone? It sounds like you were even more alone because of the library.”

“Because the characters were going through the things I was going through. All around me, in my real life, I saw happy people. People whose biggest cares were winning a basketball game or getting a date for Saturday night. In my school of a thousand people, the other kids convinced me that I was an oddball, freak of nature. Maybe the characters I read about weren’t going through exactly the same thing, there weren’t a lot of gay boys in literature back then, but they were going through something and I could relate. And when they got their happy ending, or not so happy ending but they still survived and made it out stronger for having experienced it, it gave me hope too.”

Caitlyn nodded, and Whitman decided lecture time was over. If she wanted to trust him and make the next move, she would. He wouldn’t push it. Instead, he let her take the cart and reshelve the books while he went back to his office to prepare the two evening events he was finally kicking off this week – Trivia Tuesday and Film Favorites Friday. He made a mental note to ask Caitlyn, when Travis arrived since he would have to approve, if she could come back Tuesday evening to help out with the event. He hoped so, because he was nervous that his first big idea would be a flop. Libraries and books and even children’s times, he could do, but these were social events of an entirely different level. He probably shouldn’t, but Whitman was measuring his future, whether he’d ever make friends and truly be happy here in Slat Creek, by the success of the events this week.

More than anything, he wanted them to go well.

Travis couldn’t decide if he liked the nosy librarian or not.

Okay, he liked him. He still didn’t need much alone time, but ever since that first meeting with Whitman at the library, whenever his libido remembered that he was a twenty-one-year-old male, it was due to visions of a certain bald head nearing his little head.

No, he wasn’t sure if he liked the way the man seemed to want to try to help Caitlyn. He had probably heard the rumors. It was Slat Creek after all, and Mrs. Leake was a library fixture, as well as a town hall fixture, and a Creek Café and Coffee, C3 to the locals, fixture. Travis was torn between thinking it a kind gesture and wishing the guy would leave them alone to sort everything out in peace.

Now, he was wanting Caitlyn back the following evening to help with some crazy social scheme he had cooked up. Travis tried to remind himself that Whitman was new to Slat Creek and wasn’t aware of how things were done. Maybe he should go ahead and let Caitlyn come back and help out. It probably wouldn’t last past the first week anyway. Kids here drank and had bonfires for entertainment until they hit the magic age where they could go to Copper Beach for real fun. No one wanted to stay in Slat Creek if they could help it. Certainly not to play trivia or watch old movies.

But with Whitman’s hopeful smile brightening his cheeks until his entire head almost gleamed, Travis found himself not only agreeing to let Caitlyn help, but offering his services too.

Whitman’s joy at the offer was not to be contained.

Which is why the next night, Travis found himself pulling on his nice jeans, the ones that hadn’t faded yet and fit him perfectly, and an actual shirt that didn’t have holes under the arms or beginning across the shoulders. Thank god Caitlyn didn’t notice. Had this been a year ago, he would have never heard the end of her teasing. In their past life, she would have never missed the way Travis suddenly found himself at a loss for words around the handsome librarian.

They arrived at the library at a quarter to seven, the hour when the social was to start. The library closed at six, and Whitman clearly hadn’t left. He wore the same grey slacks and mint green button down as before, the crew neck of his white undershirt peeking through where his collar was undone. Travis could see a little shadow developing along his jawline, and it made him think Whitman would look quite distinguished with a beard – even if that plus the green shirt really would complete the leprechaun look Travis tried to keep at bay so he wouldn’t accidentally laugh out loud at Whitman’s enthusiasm. At least the man didn’t have a weird accent.

“Oh, thank God,” Whitman exclaimed upon their arrival, thrusting a video game controller into Travis’ hands. “How well do you know how to operate one of these things?” Travis barely had a chance to nod before Whitman steamrolled over the break in conversation. “Great. Because I need to run home to grab the food. The tiny library fridge wasn’t big enough to hold everything, and I’m running out of time.”

Caitlyn left with Whitman while Travis got the gaming system connected to the big screen that Whitman had wheeled out into sitting area of the library. He had already pulled the mostly-comfy two-seaters and chairs from their scattered spots throughout the building and arranged them in a horseshoe. A plastic table had been placed near the glass wall of the teen room, in the foyer of the library that had tile flooring. Cups, plates, and napkins sat alone until Whitman and Caitlyn dumped bags of goodies a few minutes later. Veggie platters, two-liters of soda, and enough cookies to feed the whole school had it still been open, Whitman set about arranging everything just so, and Travis tried his best not to find it an endearing quality.

The sound of the gaming system starting up pulled Whitman from his nit-picking, and he hurried over to Travis’ side.

“It’s called ‘That’s What You Think.’ If you can pull it up for me,” Whitman said. Travis couldn’t help noticing Whitman’s fidgeting hands, which he then clasped them together. “Right. I’ll just be over–”

The door to the library swung open, and Melissa Leake, Mrs. Leake’s daughter, pulled her boyfriend Larry in by the wrist.

Travis shouldn’t have been surprised at that. If one wasn’t going to show up to learn all the gossip, it was no surprise that the other went in her place. She’d have to have plenty of information to pass along later, and Travis hoped for Whitman’s sake that it wouldn’t be that Trivia Tuesday was a dud.

Whitman showed them to the food while Travis pulled up the game and got the different controllers ready. Whitman had collected eight of them, but Travis didn’t think they’d need that many. The game home screen shone brightly in the room, and three twenty-somethings entered the library with tentative glances like they expected a librarian to pop out and accost them at any moment. Which he did, only with snacks instead of books.

“I’ve never seen him so nervous,” Caitlyn whispered as she wandered over to Travis. “He’s usually so in control.”

“Got to be hard to be new in town.” Neither of them would know. They’d lived in the same town and the same house for their entire lives. “You might help him. It looks like Delilah Patterson sent her grandson and his friends as a show of support, or to track the disaster as it happens.”

Caitlyn wasted no time inserting herself into Whitman’s conversation with the new arrivals. In seconds, a tint of pink crept into her cheeks and Travis narrowed his eyes at the three young men who had been in the graduating class after his. He could see why Caitlyn found them blush-worthy, but he remembered them as teenagers, which was enough to tarnish their shine.

After everyone had time for snacks, Whitman escorted them into the main room.

“Travis,” Scott Patterson said as greeting with a curt nod of his head, and his two friends nodded in unison behind him.

“Scott.”

“You know each other. Wonderful,” Whitman said, and clasped his hands again to keep his nerves from showing.

Travis wasn’t about to put Whitman even more on edge, so he pasted a fake smile and said, “Hey guys.”

Caitlyn grabbed the controllers and started to pass them out while Whitman explained the rules. “As with most trivia nights that you find at bars or coffee houses, we’ll play in teams. Pick a name and a mascot for your team and select them with your controllers. I have a trophy for the winner. It will stay here at the library, on that shelf.” Whitman pointed and everyone’s eyes followed to the blank bookshelf to the right of the check-out counter. “We’ll take a picture of the winning team, and their picture will be displayed next to the trophy for the week. But if you want to defend your title, you’ll have to come back next week, because whoever wins then will replace the previous winner’s picture.”

Melissa and her boyfriend decided on the team name Love Bugs, and the mascot on the game that they picked was a cartoon, curly-haired woman with fairy wings and a t-shirt with a heart on it. Scott and his friends titled themselves the SC Warriors, which Travis couldn’t even find the shock and surprise to muster an eye-roll for. Their cartoon mascot was a mustachioed muscle man in a red wrestlers singlet covered in yellow stars.

Whitman, Caitlyn and Travis made up the final team, and they let Caitlyn pick their name and mascot. In honor of Whitman and the library, she chose the Book Worms, and she picked a dumpy yet surprisingly bouncy cartoon old woman with a cupcake hat. Caitlyn giggled every time the woman kicked up her heels on screen and upset her hat, so Travis considered it a win already.

A variety of topics flashed across the screen, and although each team could vote for the one they preferred, it seemed to be random which one the game actually selected. The first round was eighties movies, and the teams seemed pretty equal in knowledge. After four questions on the subject, the Love Bugs were ahead by one, but the other teams each had a point.

The next round was the French Revolution, and the teams were equally matched for that as well, in lack of knowledge. But through guessing and sheer luck, each team walked away with a point after that round as well. Everyone missed the final question, the year the French Revolution ended. Scott and his team swore it was in the eighteen-hundreds and Melissa was still fighting with her boyfriend over whether Napoleon was part of the French Revolution or not. Whitman guessed that it was seventeen ninety-eight, and Travis and Caitlyn both let him guess, because neither of them had any clue.

It was during that round, however, that the teams started to let their guard down and the library was filled with shouting and cheers and groans.

Whitman taunted Scott that he should have paid more attention in school when Scott and his teammates bickered over an answer, and Travis held his breath for the shit to hit the fan. High-school Scott would not have stood for such an insult. Grown-up Scott, however, got the answer correct, gave Whitman a weird gloating victory dance, and Whitman grinned as he promised to eat his words. Scott, in return, teased that it was too bad there wasn’t a category on hair loss.

Melissa and her boyfriend got in on the teasing, and soon, what had started as a friendly game of trivia had turned into full-blown war. By the third round, NFL greats, Travis was certain the library had never heard such noise before.

“I don’t know any sports figures,” Whitman said, and pretended to ignore the snort coming from the SC Warriors. “I only know Michael Phelps.”

Travis and Caitlyn were equally clueless, but Caity was getting into it, and started cheering “Michael Phelps! Michael Phelps!” whenever it came time to answer a question. Needless to say, the SC Warriors won that round with three points. The Love Bugs earned one point, thanks to Melissa’s quick controller skills and her boyfriend’s football knowledge.

The final round was twentieth century American authors.

“No fair,” one of the SC Warriors complained. “You rigged this to win.”

“Totally,” Scott said, smacking his friend on the back of the head. “His sucking in the sports category was just to throw us off the trail.”

“Right!”

“I was kidding, dumb ass.”

“Oh.”

Caity giggled and Scott winked at her, and had Whitman not chosen that moment to rest his arm behind Caity to subtly put a hand on Travis’ shoulder, the whole night might have gone off the rails.

“If you want me to be disqualified from answering on this round, I don’t mind,” Whitman chimed in. “I believe in my fellow Book Worms.”

Travis knew that he shouldn’t. If Mrs. Carter, the high school English teacher were here, she would warn him about both Butler siblings being lost causes in her class. But Whitman hardly seemed like the competitive type, and besides, if the Book Worms won, there would less incentive for the other teams

“Nope,” Scott said. “We’re going to win this thing fair and square. No handicapping.”

To Travis’ surprise, Scott beat out Whitman on one of the questions, earning a point for the SC Warriors and ensuring their victory for the evening.

The three men posed around the trophy, flexing their biceps and sticking out their tongues. Travis stopped himself from making gagging noises, but Caity cheered them on.

Melissa stopped by to shake Travis’ hand and tell him “Good game,” making Travis suddenly feel like he was back in t-ball. But both she and her boyfriend smiled and joked with everyone, and Travis had to admit the evening was a surprising success.

He and Caity stayed to help Whitman clean up, and he seemed to think so too.

“I wasn’t sure how many people would show up, but for our very first go, five’s not bad.” Whitman’s voice came out in bursts as he lifted one of the chairs and walked it back to its home, further in the library, but his rambling never ceased. “Hopefully Melissa thought so too, because if Mrs. Leake starts spreading how much fun it was, then there will be even more people next time. And hopefully the Warriors will be back to defend their title.”

Whitman grinned at the idea, beaming and earnest and making Travis want to capture him in a bottle to keep around for a day when he needed some sunshine.

“I can’t thank you enough for allowing Caitlyn to help. Oh, and for your help too. Did you have fun?”

“It was so much fun,” Caity said, inserting herself between them, and a look crossed Whitman’s face that Travis was pretty sure had just been on his too. Somehow, Whitman had realized that Caity needed an evening of fun, and here they both stood, appreciating the results. It had been too long since Travis had heard her giggle like that when substances weren’t involved. Tonight, she actually seemed like the carefree kid she was supposed to be. Travis wasn’t sure how or if he could every repay Whitman for giving them that.

“We’ll definitely be back next week,” Travis said and Whitman hit him with another ray of sunshine. If Travis were a plant, he would thrive under Whitman’s care.

It kind of made Travis wish he were a plant.